My bet is that this is Steve Tambellini's club now, with the youngsters (Gilbert, Gagner, etc) about to take on new roles and the old guard (Horcoff, Hemsky, Moreau) no doubt seeing a power shift in the room. Steve Tambellini promised changes. This move--even more than the Prendergast firing--represents real change. Today's move is going to piss people off, and Tambellini must have gotten the boss to sign off before pulling the trigger.
What happens now? Short of Kevin Lowe resigning (if they were going to fire him it would have happened by now) I think this is the biggest item we'll get this summer. This is news.
There couldn't be a better way for Steve to show he's the new boss than to fire the old boss' brother I suppose.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be interesting to see if any more heads roll this summer.
How much longer can I beat a dead horse and say that the best way to show he is commited to change is to release the president and then fall on his own sword (without naming his replacement). But then again I don't want to see Kovalchuk here this year either
ReplyDeleteWell, he sure did prove that he's not going to be stuck with a bunch of Sather's old cronies. He's his own boss, and it's about time the stink of Glen Sather was removed from this organization.
ReplyDeleteI've been listening to Gregor's show and everyone is a little mystified at the firing. The way I look at it is, these guys are quality people and have been in the business for decades, but maybe its time for a younger group who can connect with the younger players coming in. Looking for a communication connection, cause when the training staff started most of the team was young too. I think it would be easier for the players to confide in a 'buddy' then your dad or uncle when you have a problem. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI think Steve had a plan all along to be honest, coaching staff last year, trying to get rid of bad contracts, assist. G.M, medical-training staff, I don't think he is done either. I must admit,I like what I am seeing. It will take a while and he is frustrating on some decisions but the culture change is in full swing.
ReplyDeleteRe-posted from the Pouliot thread:
ReplyDeleteStafford is on record saying "this was handled with class and dignity by the Oilers, and the changes are good thing"
The Millard on the early Global news stated the Stafford will have a position to help Olyczk set up the new AHL franchise.
If you read what Brownlee about KP's replacement, he may have had the goods on this.
Bar Qu... by "he" did you mean Tambo? Cause if you did, I don't think the GM can fire the President.
ReplyDeleteHearing this news, the only thing I can think is these guys must've become the equivalent of the old guy who screams at the damn kids to get off his lawn. Maybe there was a generation gap developing in the room.
Woodguy are you saying that Ken Lowe is moving to assistant GM?
ReplyDeleteStef, I am the old guy yelling at the kids - except that no one is listening, as usual. It sounds like no one is happy about this round of firings, even if they were on-board with KPrendergast.
Change for change's sake indeed.
I recant "Brownlee may have had the goods"
ReplyDeleteJust read his newest post, and he has no clue.
Glad to hear it. I was beginning to lose faith in your all-wise-guyness there WG.
ReplyDeleteNo, Stafford to help in a more "managerial" role in OKC.
ReplyDeleteProbably need some one to head up operations at the rink. You don't start a new AHL franchise by opening the door.
Brownlee wrote a day or two ago about the Moose equipment man becoming the GM and doing a good job.
Turns out Stafford is doing something somewhat similar, although I'd guess he'd have nothing to do with player decisions.
I could be wrong.
No one outside the organization can know exactly what those men represent in the day to day life of the club, but anyone who has been part of an organization for a long time knows that this is one way to change the atmosphere in a quick hurry.
ReplyDeleteWell put LT. My two cents:
1.) In all reality this really isn't going to make the Oilers more or less likely to win games. Good players win game. Good "atmospheres" are good for asthma. I actually suspect the 80's Oilers dressing room was a pretty toxic place for a lot of guys, but it didn't mean squat because they were so good.
2.) During training camp, Quinn remarked that he didn't like how the veterans had priviliged status. He even changed the drills and the stalls -or something- around in order to make a more egalitarian environment.
At the time, I seem to remember that we all thought maybe guys like Moreau and Staios were the problem, that they were thinking and acting entitled whcih was poisoning the room.
But maybe, just maybe, the long time trainers and staff -the guys who remember the glory days- were responsible for that attitude. It makes sense. The trainers were used to a time where we had players who maybe did deserve -or at least got- that kind of entitlement. We're all creatures of habit.
At any rate, I think it's good for the Oilers soul to do away with guys from the glory days. Those days are over and somehow they're still a proud organization, even they haven't won shit in almost 20 years.
The debate here is a cut above the ranting on some other oilblogs where the mob has already concluded management can do no right and bursts into sneering mis-spelled rants without provocation.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that the moves and dismissals (if there were indeed dismissals) were "change for change sake". Sorry, Bar Qu, no offense meant, but that motivation would imply a kind of sociopathic and approval-seeking behavior that I haven't seen other evidence of in Tambellini.
I may be wrong, but here is how I see it:
1) Tambellini moves slowly. Very slowly.
2) He is still a bit unsure of how much authority he really has under both Katz and Lowe, for good reason.
3) Katz and Lowe both want to win, right now, and if one or two big contracts is all it takes, well, git 'er done.
4) Because of 3, the Oil have pissed away a couple of rebuilding years and left the team with less cap and personnel flexibility than it needs.
5) The voice of the fan, heard through blogs like this one and through the live forums that the Oilers have organized, is saying loud and clear "It is broken. Fix this mess for the long term"
6) The voice of the fan could be ignored as long as the echoes of the Whyte Avenue celebrations could be detected. After 4 years out of the playoffs, and 30th place guaranteed since before Christmas, there is finally no ducking reality, even if you are a billionaire or a winner of 6 cups as a player.
7) Tambellini, in his own way, is doing what he thinks he needs to do.
8) Unfortunately, he and DK and KL have earned the derision of big chunks of the fan base and it will take a while to get out of the derision hole.
9) Tambellini will still make some mistakes and be thoroughly criticized for them. Maybe even excessively criticized given the uncertain nature of the game.
10) In the end, we may end up looking like Nashville or LA or Buffalo. A promising and entertaining team. Any team like this can catch lightning in a bottle; just check the 06 Oilers or Hurricanes, or 04 Lightning or Flames.
I am a fan, with a bit of a Chauncey Gardner streak....I like to watch (people and organizations) and figure what makes them tick. Your mileage may vary.
Brownlee wrote a day or two ago about the Moose equipment man becoming the GM and doing a good job.
ReplyDeleteCraig Heisinger could be a capable GM for a couple of NHL franchises. He's found some great players for the moose over the last couple of years who have gone on to NHL successes without the glamour of being drafted. He's also convinced some of the AHL's elite to play in Winnipeg over the years.
Started out as the Jets equipment manager, and never left town.
No offense taken halfwise, that is what this place is for - constructive disagreement to arrive at better understanding.
ReplyDeleteI accept your points, but I think that #5 does not mean fire the trainer and good guys of the lower realms, and that #7 means that this team will be gone from greatness even longer than it needs to be. I do not trust Tambellini to do even minor things well at this point, let alone the important rebuilding of a destitute hockey club.
Wow. This kinda hit the ol shock button for me. Im actually a little pissed. These guys have been with the team forever. I guess Trevor Linden will be sharpening the skates from now on.
ReplyDeleteSparky was Joey's bud and boss right? What the f*ck does he do now? BS move IMO.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure they should be firing their webpage staffers. I e-mailed them about an error on their draft centre page as they've forgotten about one of our 6th round picks (the one we acquired from Ottawa for our 2009 7th rounder). They haven't replied, and they haven't corrected their error either. You'd think the Oilers could have the draft selections they've acquired saved on a hard drive somewhere...right?
ReplyDeleteI can see the press release already:
"The Edmonton Oilers, proud members of the National Hockey League came away from draft weekend excited. 'We got some good exciting young prospects this year' remarks new Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini. ... When asked about the pick forefited in the sixth round due to running out their time clock to make a selection, Oilers head scout Stu MacGregor becomes verbally violent, muttering "tweedledumbellini" to himself over and over again. Oilers new General Manager Steve Tambellini had the following remark; 'We were unaware of the asset previously acquired by the old General Manager, and our scouting department failed to shout out a name at random in the three seconds before we had to make our selection'."
My heart actually skipped a beat when I heard that K. Lowe got fired this afternoon...
ReplyDeletesigh.
Yah, the trainer is the source of everything bad in this organization. Fire the trainer and the equipment guys.
We're winning the cup next year!!!
I do not trust Tambellini to do even minor things well at this point, let alone the important rebuilding of a destitute hockey club.
ReplyDeleteHe's starting to make moves that show his hand a bit. Most of us around here will agree that K-Lowe's strength was finding adequate, overlooked defensemen. It saved this team a couple times and he found us absolute gems at times (remember Steady Steve?).
What the last two years have shown me is that maybe the strength of Steve Tambellini is finding grit players that other teams don't have much use for. He found us Ryan Stone last year, and Ryan Jones this year. Both looked at times to be the exact type of player this team had been missing the two years previous.
This is the strength of having a large management group. No one man is responsible for finding multiple player types for the team. If what I believe is true, we've got our bottom-6er wingers and journeyman defenders spoken for, along with top-6 forwards from the Magnificent Bastard's scouting department. To be competitive we're missing one management piece. Unfortunately, goalie gurus are fucking impossible to find.
Trainers and equipment managers get fired... Who cares?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCool story. But some stranger losing his job isn't something I get worked up about.
ReplyDeleteExact Stafford quote as per Global
ReplyDelete"The Oilers handled this situation with class and dignity and uts a good thing. I'm looking forward to the opportunity in another capacity with the organization. I'm leaving my current position with no regrets"
Reading the aggressive and somewhat indignant articles/posts by Matheson and Brownlee this may also signal a new and less buddy-buddy relationship between the Oilers and local media.
One can hope.
I think it would be easier for the players to confide in a 'buddy' then your dad or uncle when you have a problem.
ReplyDelete... or with PoHO's bro.
Maybe there was a generation gap developing in the room.
A second generation gap.
One thing's for sure, "the room" just got a Lot younger. I understand the logic of it. Sparky and the boys didn't deserve it per se, but on the positive side they were gainfully employed here for a lot of years. Maybe it was just time.
It sounds as though their departures/"promotions" have been handled with dignity, and unlike a fired coach this really is a case where a guy can be offered another position in the organization and actually take it. Good to hear Stafford landed on his feet, this could turn out to be a positive change for him. Hopefully the others will do likewise, whether it's here or elsewhere. They're good men, and will find a job in the game.
As for Tambellini, it's a tough gig when you get pilloried for doing nothing and then get it worse when you do make a move. I don't imagine he's had a fun week, but it's not a popularity contest.
Good luck to all of the guys involved. I am sure it is time for a change and it looks like Tambi is seeking to modernize the team. I wonder if the negative ion machine will be plugged back in now?
ReplyDeleteApparently Lowe was a problem. "Too old school." Sucks that Sparky left.
ReplyDeleteThat negative ion machine introduced a lot of negativity to the room.
ReplyDeleteBruce,
ReplyDeleteThe ice water bath lost the room.
Maybe Tambellini also plugged a couple of leaks in his fortress of solitude.
Journalists who have been around the team for 20+ years are probably on more than just speaking terms with 20+ year employees.
If a guy gets another position within the organization is he really fired?
ReplyDeleteNo really. Lowe was apparently a do it yourself guy that stuck to the old school way to do things. They held his rehab methods suspect, etc. Didn't believe in full disclosure, etc.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if anyone's been following the OHL playoffs, but Windsor's come back from 0-3 to tie their series against Kitchener. Game 7 goes Sunday night and Taylor Hall's got 14 goals in 14 playoff games. Certainly seems to be able to elevate his game when necessary as he's had 6 points (four goals) in the last 3 games.
ReplyDeleteWell the medical trainer can be an issue if his methods are outdated. Tough the equipment manager?
ReplyDeleteSeems weird a bit but heh.
On a sidenote. Halak steals the game in Washington. Series going back to Montreal. Alongside with Ottawa, i suspect one of those teams make it. The others breaks.
Yup, it looks like Taylor Hall and the Windsor Spitfires are getting ready to finish off their greatest trick yet. Down 0-3 and have come back to tie the series at 3. Another 2 goal night for Hall. Jeff Skinner is making some noise as well, he scored his 20th playoff goal tonight. Skinner is solid PKer, block shots, pay the price type player, for him to have 50g during the reg season and 20g in the playoffs, will probably vault him up the draft. he was projected to go early 2nd round, now I'm guessing mid 1st/early teens for him.
ReplyDeleteNobody cares about the habs FPB
ReplyDeleteIt would just be asinine to pass on Taylor Hall.
ReplyDeleteWOW, just WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteDoritogrande:
"What the last two years have shown me is that maybe the strength of Steve Tambellini is finding grit players that other teams don't have much use for. He found us Ryan Stone last year, and Ryan Jones this year. Both looked at times to be the exact type of player this team had been missing the two years previous.
This is the strength of having a large management group. No one man is responsible for finding multiple player types for the team. If what I believe is true, we've got our bottom-6er wingers and journeyman defenders spoken for, along with top-6 forwards from the Magnificent Bastard's scouting department. To be competitive we're missing one management piece. Unfortunately, goalie gurus are fucking impossible to find."
Wow.....let me say it again: did you notice that we are 30th in the NHL? That is like really ... really bad. Did you notice that we are also last in the AHL? .............
Please Dear god quit with the accolades like there is a plethora of talent in the pipeline..... we have a wonderfully mediocre basket of talent selected by a group of douche bag management. This is not the 86 Oilers!!!
Let me be abundantly clear: the Oil were not horribly bad because Barry Stafford and Sparky Kulchinsky did not lay out fresh towels: they were HORRIBLE because the had a $35 million dollar team assembled by K Lowe that was paid $55 million dollars
Right decision....wrong Lowe!!!
I guess this really means that we've reached a.... Lowe tide.
ReplyDeleteLet me just say that I care about the Habs...losing.
ReplyDeleteLet's get them and Van out of the playoffs and then I can enjoy them a little more.
The thing I most enjoyed about all the coverage of the firings was MacKinnon saying Lowe's a well respected and capable management person.
Well I guess it must be true if MacKinnon said it.
...but can MacKinnon say it while Lowe drinks a glass of water?
ReplyDeleteWell, he sure did prove that he's not going to be stuck with a bunch of Sather's old cronies. He's his own boss, and it's about time the stink of Glen Sather was removed from this organization.
ReplyDeleteChrist, Stafford was probably one of Bill Hunter's hires, he's been there so long.
PunjabiOil said...
ReplyDeleteIt would just be asinine to pass on Taylor Hall.
Wow. Well that has me convinced. NO way can I beat that argument.
Nothing says "change" in an organization like firing the guys in charge of laundering the jock straps.
ReplyDelete/clap clap